If you analyze any crime scene, the planner of the crime seems more dangerous than the committers, which has happened in Nathaniel Woods case. The Alabama authorities claimed Nathaniel's involvement in shooting three police officers back on 17 June 2004, a deadliest one, and executed him.
Nathaniel Woods, who was convicted of capital murder and shooting deaths of three officers in 2005, was executed on 5 March 2020 at 9:01 p.m. Central by lethal injection at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama.
The reports suggest that Nathaniel never pulled the trigger of the gun that swept the life of three officers, but he was the mastermind behind the crime in Birmingham, Alabama.
The day he killed three police officers is considered as the 'deadliest day' in the history of Alabama Birmingham Police Department.
Nathaniel Woods Knew His Execution Date Before His Counsel
Nathaniel Woods, age 44, wrote a letter to the judge a few days before his trial, mentioning that he was not getting in terms with his counsel. He wrote that he had been unhappy with his counsel throughout his appellate process.
The interesting thing about the letter was he mentioned that he received a notice of his execution date before his current counsel, with whom he had been unable to contact.
Nathaniel Woods' letter to judge before his trial (©: mirror.co.uk)
Nathaniel further stated that he wished to cut off the process with his counsel by requesting the jury to avail him with another counsel from The Capital Halens Unit of the Federal Defenders for the Middle District of Florida to represent him.
Nathaniel Had Support For His Defense
Kerry Spencer was a co-defendant in Nathaniel's case. Speaking to CNN, Kerry said that Nathaniel was innocent, and he was not involved in the crime, and he actually 'ran when the gunfire erupted.'
But Kerry's relationship with Nathaniel brings the storms of controversies as well. Back in 2004, the authorities were arresting Nathaniel at an apartment, where he was dealing with drugs with Kerry. And, it was Kerry, who opened fire on police officers fatally injuring them. Both Nathaniel and Kerry were convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death in 2005.
Nathaniel's attorneys also had filed a last-minute petition in his defense requesting to block the execution. Although the jury granted a temporary stay, they eventually denied the request and execution of Nathaniel proceeded.
Apart from that, Nathaniel received an avalanche of supports while he was on death row back in a few days. O.J. Simpson came with a supporting video on Twitter stating that everybody deserves a fair trial and appeal. He also requested the Alabama authorities to make the right decision.
Another supporter was Martin Luther King III spoke in Nathaniel's support and even wrote a letter to the governor of Alabama. He mentioned:
"In just 2 days, your state, and the state I was born in, is set to kill a man who is very likely innocent. Killing this African American man, whose case appears to have been strongly mishandled by the courts, could produce an irreversible injustice.”
Similarly, the American media personality and actress/model, Kim Kardashian tweeted that her prayers are for Nathaniel's family and his supporters, who worked tirelessly to save him from the execution because of the crime that another man committed.
Kim Kardashian's tweet (©: Twitter/Kim Kardashian)
Bart Starr Jr., son of NFL quarterback Bart Starr, came forth with his support and talked about Nathaniel's case in WRBC. He stated;
“What took place was simultaneously a tragedy for three families of police officers, but now another potential tragedy because the system has failed an individual.”
Despite all those supports, Nathaniel was executed by the Alabama authorities on 5 March 2020.